Device for producing artificial waves



o. A. PRICE 2,19,29

DEVICE FOR PRODUCING ARTIFICIAL WAES Filed Jan. 50, 1955 Patented Nov.5, 1935 PATENT OFFICE DEVICE FOR PRODUCING ARTIFICIAL WAVES Owen AlfredPrice, Kilmarnock, Scotland Application January 30, 1935, Serial No.4,012 In Great Britain November 18, 1933 7 Claims.

In devices incorporating a reciprocating displacer or displacers forproducing artificial waves in swimming pools and the like, the displaceror each displacer is ordinarily about twenty feet long, or more, and isusually constructed of wood. On account of the large size of thedisplacer and the difiiculty of constructing it accurately to designdimensions, and of its liability to deformation oralteration in lengthunder the action of the water in which it operates, eificient guidanceof such a displacer was always a problem.

An object of the present invention is to provide an improvedconstruction which permits easy removal of the displacer and whichprovides sufiicient flexibility to accommodate small dimensionalinaccuracies of construction, or slight changes of form, or ofdimensions, which may occur, during service under the action of thewater, while maintaining eflicient unimpaired guidance under allconditions.

A further object of the invention is to effect satisfactory lubricationof the guides or portions of the guides which are necessarily locatedbelow the surface of the water.

The invention is particularly applicable to constructions of the type inwhich the displacer or each displacer is reciprocated by a pair ofrocking beams operating in parallel and linked to the displacer.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing in which Fig. 1is a diagrammatic perspective ghost view showing a displacer and guideassembly, Fig. 1a is a transverse crosssectional view through thedisplacer structure and showing the means for supporting and guiding itin its reciprocating movement, and Figs. 2-6 fragmentary detail views ofmodifications drawn to a larger scale.

As shown, I denotes a closed hollow displacer structure adapted to bereciprocated vertically within a pressure shaft at one end of a swimmingpool or the like, being actuated by mechanism including connecting rods2, which extend through the top of the displacer I, and overhead rockingbeams 3 which are rocked in parallel by power means (not shown). Theside walls of the displacer I may, if desired, be formed of upper andlower portions which meet on a median line as shown in Fig. 1 of thedrawing.

The displacer is guided in its reciprocatory movements by a pair ofvertical guide bars 4 fixed in opposed relation one to each side wall ofthe pressure shaft and slidingly engaged by a pair of slides 5interconnected, and reciprocating with, the displacer structure, beingmounted on opposite ends of a rigid transverse member 6 which passesthrough openings 6a in the side walls of the displacer structure I.

The guides 4 and slides 5 are contained in or about the transversemedian plane of the dis- 5 placer structure I and are of V-form in crosssection, but it will be understood that they may be of other crosssectional shape.

A rigid longitudinal member 8 attached to the transverse member 6 servesas an anchorage for 10 connections at I to the connecting rods 2.

As will readily be understood, the construction is such that, while thedisplacer structure I proper, which may be constructed of wood, is freeto warp, twist, expand and shrink almost 15 without restriction, thereis afforded a rigid guiding system the efiiciency of which is unimpairedby any distortion of the displacer structure.

Each slide 5 may comprise separate pads which 20 may be resilientlyinterconnected by a laminated spring 9 as shown in Fig. 2. Again, eachslipper pad may be pivotally connected to the spring 9 as shown in Fig.3, or as shown in Fig. 3a, so as to render the pads self-aligning on theguides. 5 Further, a spring may be interposed between the rear face ofeach slipper pad and the adjacent side wall of the displacer, as shownin Fig. 4 or Fig. 5. I

To ensure that lubricant when applied to the 30 guides 4 will be sweptover their whole length, above and below the water level, the overalllength of a one-piece slide as shown in Fig. l is made greater than thelength of the stroke of the displacer, so that lubricant may be fed to a5 central point on the guide as shown at H] in Fig.

6 which is always covered by the slide. When further lubrication isrequired, a supplementary supply of lubricant can be fed to the guidesin the usual way. 40

Where each slide comprises two pads, thepads are so spaced apart inrelation to the stroke of the displacer, as shown in Fig. 6, that thepaths of the pads overlap, so that lubricant is transferred from one padto the other. 45

As will be evident, the construction of the guides and slides is suchthat the displacer may readily be raised or lowered clear of the guidesto permit removal of the displacer.

I claim:--

1. In a device for producing artificial waves in swimming pools and thelike, a displacer structure, means for imparting vertical reciprocatingmovements to said displacer structure, and means for guiding saiddisplacer structure in its reciprocating movements, said means includingvertical opposed guides, slides reciprocating with said displacerstructure and engaging the opposed sides of said guides, and meansinterconnecting said slides.

2. In a device for producing artificial waves in swimming pools and thelike, a displacer structure, means for imparting reciprocating move-,ments to said displacer structure, and means for guiding said displacerstructure in its reciprocating movements, said means including opposedguides located substantially in the transverse median plane of saiddisplacer structure, slides engaging the opposed sides of said guides,and a member disposed transversely of and reciprocating with saiddisplacer structure and interconnecting said slides.

3. In a device for producing artificial waves in swimming pools and thelike, a displacer structure, means for imparting reciprocating movementsto said displacer structure, and means for guiding said displacerstructure in its reciprocating movements, said means including opposedguides, slides reciprocating with said displacer structure and engagingthe opposed sides of said guides, and means rigidly interconnecting saidslides.

4. In a device for producing artificial waves in swimming pools and thelike, a displacer structure, means for imparting reciprocating movementsto said displacer structure, and means for guiding said displacerstructure in its reciprocating movements, said means including opposedguides, slides reciprocating with said displacer structure and engagingthe opposed sides of said guides, each slide comprising a pair of spacedpads, and means interconnecting said slides.

5. In a device for producing artificial waves in swimming pools and thelike, a displacer structure, means for imparting reciprocating movementsto said displacer structure, and means for guiding said displacerstructure in its reciprocating movements, said means including opposedguides located substantially in the transverse median plane of saiddisplacer structure, a member disposed transversely of and reciprocatingwith said displacer structure, and slides resiliently mounted on theends of said member and engaging the opposed sides of said guides.

6. In a. device for producing artificial waves in swimming pools and thelike, a displacer structure, means for imparting reciprocating movementsto said displacer structure, and means for guiding said displacerstructure in its reciprocating movements, said means including opposedguides located substantially in the transverse median plane of saiddisplacer structure, slides reciprocable with said displacer structureand engaging the opposed sides of said guides, a member disposedtransversely and reciprocating with said displacer structure andinterconnecting said slides, and springs carried by said member, eachslide comprising pads pivoted to said springs.

'7. In a device for producing artificial waves in swimming pools and thelike, a displacer structure, means including connecting rods forimparting reciprocating movements to said displacer structure, and meansforguiding said displacer structure in its reciprocating movements, saidmeans including opposed guides located substantially in the transversemedian plane of said displacer structure, slides engaging the opposedsides of said guides, a transverse member reciprocating with saiddisplacer structure and interconnecting said slides, and a rigidlongitudinal member attached to said transverse member and serving as ananchorage for connection to said connecting rods.

OWEN ALFRED PRICE.

